focused on Kalina. Once she had given Awai permission to leave her bedchamber, the sorceress had met Ty in her own chambers.
Kalina now stood before the glowing a’bin , the table she used to predict the future of Tarok. She pushed her long fall of black hair over her shoulder, her fire-ice eyes studying the cards upon the table . These cards she used to tell the futures of Tarok and its four Kingdoms, but on this day she had called him because the cards told a tale that she found both confusing and unnerving.
While he waited for the sorceress to interpret the cards, he glanced toward the lone window that was shadowed by heavy drapes. Kalina preferred her chambers to have little light save for countless candles perched upon every surface in the room. The smells of burning tallow, herbs, and perfumes filled the chamber. Amidst the plethora of scents, his keen weretiger senses caught her honeysuckle perfume, a scent that used to incite him, used to cause him to lust after the beautiful sorceress.
But now that he had found his mate, no one but Awai would ever do for him again. He had no desire to even look at any other woman. She was already ingrained in his heart and soul.
The King returned his gaze to Kalina, but her brows were furrowed in concentration and perhaps frustration, too. Ty moved to the window, his steps heavy in the silence. He pulled back the drape and smiled when he saw Awai seated by the pond, feeding the large, colorful fish with pellets of food provided by the gamekeeper. She looked so beautiful there, her hair in a shimmer of dark silk over one shoulder, her black robes clinging to her lush figure. He had missed her more than he wanted to admit, and it had taken all he had not to go to her last night.
“Majesty,” came Kalina’s musical voice, drawing him away from his view of Awai. He let the drapes fall back against the window with a soft swish as he turned to the sorceress.
He stepped closer to the sorceress’s glowing a’bin . “What is it you read in the cards?”
She frowned, her forehead creasing as she gave another glance to the three rows of nine cards. “I see that our Kingdom is in danger, but the cards are not telling me what that danger is.” Her fire-ice eyes grew distant. “A tiger has been held captive for many years and is still imprisoned by a dark force.”
Kalina raised her gaze to meet Ty’s. “Perhaps your sister captured one of our people long ago and still lives to hold that weretiger captive.”
He shook his head. “But I have seen the cliff where she met her doom. It would be impossible to survive such a fall.” Even though his sister had turned to evil, he couldn’t help but feel sorrow for the Mikaela he had grown up with and loved. “Her body must have been washed out to sea.”
“You are probably right, Majesty.” Kalina’s lips pursed as she glanced again to the cards. “If that is the case, then we face a new threat.” She glanced back to Ty. “And this force is darker and far more evil than Mikaela.”
Ty studied the sorceress for a moment then gave a slow nod. “I will send word to my brothers and reinforce our own borders.”
Even though he wanted to go to his mate, the safety of his Kingdom and his people came first. He strode through the palace to the training yard where he knew his captain was working with new trainees. His mind worked over all the possibilities of the threat they faced. Could Mikaela have survived the fall? Surely her body would have been broken to bits by the jagged rocks below the cliff at Karn’s Diamond Hall.
Despite the evil Mikaela had wrought upon all of Tarok, a part of Ty—that part who had loved his sister—felt hope that perhaps she did still live. Another part of him had hope that their Kingdoms could return to normal and their women could once again bear children. Sadly, the two hopes could not be reconciled.
But if there were a way, if my sister yet lived and I could save her essence from the dark
Kalina now stood before the glowing a’bin , the table she used to predict the future of Tarok. She pushed her long fall of black hair over her shoulder, her fire-ice eyes studying the cards upon the table . These cards she used to tell the futures of Tarok and its four Kingdoms, but on this day she had called him because the cards told a tale that she found both confusing and unnerving.
While he waited for the sorceress to interpret the cards, he glanced toward the lone window that was shadowed by heavy drapes. Kalina preferred her chambers to have little light save for countless candles perched upon every surface in the room. The smells of burning tallow, herbs, and perfumes filled the chamber. Amidst the plethora of scents, his keen weretiger senses caught her honeysuckle perfume, a scent that used to incite him, used to cause him to lust after the beautiful sorceress.
But now that he had found his mate, no one but Awai would ever do for him again. He had no desire to even look at any other woman. She was already ingrained in his heart and soul.
The King returned his gaze to Kalina, but her brows were furrowed in concentration and perhaps frustration, too. Ty moved to the window, his steps heavy in the silence. He pulled back the drape and smiled when he saw Awai seated by the pond, feeding the large, colorful fish with pellets of food provided by the gamekeeper. She looked so beautiful there, her hair in a shimmer of dark silk over one shoulder, her black robes clinging to her lush figure. He had missed her more than he wanted to admit, and it had taken all he had not to go to her last night.
“Majesty,” came Kalina’s musical voice, drawing him away from his view of Awai. He let the drapes fall back against the window with a soft swish as he turned to the sorceress.
He stepped closer to the sorceress’s glowing a’bin . “What is it you read in the cards?”
She frowned, her forehead creasing as she gave another glance to the three rows of nine cards. “I see that our Kingdom is in danger, but the cards are not telling me what that danger is.” Her fire-ice eyes grew distant. “A tiger has been held captive for many years and is still imprisoned by a dark force.”
Kalina raised her gaze to meet Ty’s. “Perhaps your sister captured one of our people long ago and still lives to hold that weretiger captive.”
He shook his head. “But I have seen the cliff where she met her doom. It would be impossible to survive such a fall.” Even though his sister had turned to evil, he couldn’t help but feel sorrow for the Mikaela he had grown up with and loved. “Her body must have been washed out to sea.”
“You are probably right, Majesty.” Kalina’s lips pursed as she glanced again to the cards. “If that is the case, then we face a new threat.” She glanced back to Ty. “And this force is darker and far more evil than Mikaela.”
Ty studied the sorceress for a moment then gave a slow nod. “I will send word to my brothers and reinforce our own borders.”
Even though he wanted to go to his mate, the safety of his Kingdom and his people came first. He strode through the palace to the training yard where he knew his captain was working with new trainees. His mind worked over all the possibilities of the threat they faced. Could Mikaela have survived the fall? Surely her body would have been broken to bits by the jagged rocks below the cliff at Karn’s Diamond Hall.
Despite the evil Mikaela had wrought upon all of Tarok, a part of Ty—that part who had loved his sister—felt hope that perhaps she did still live. Another part of him had hope that their Kingdoms could return to normal and their women could once again bear children. Sadly, the two hopes could not be reconciled.
But if there were a way, if my sister yet lived and I could save her essence from the dark
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